Team Cap goes on a Road Trip
by wisdomblackorchid2.0
Summary: Steve, Bucky, and Sam went on a Route 66 - Grand Canyon Road Trip. Sam and Bucky's relationship was still shaky that Steve was nervous if putting the two in a van, going 70 miles an hour for several days was a good idea. (with established Romanogers/ Captasha) (Romanogers/ Captasha/ Capwidow/ SteveNat)
1. Chapter 1

The hangar at the Avenger's Compound housed the best, most sophisticated, and modern aircrafts and land vehicles you could possibly imagine, so it was a bit disconcerting for Natasha to see an old 70s customized camper van in the mix. It was a 70s Dodge van re-painted silver all over with sleek mechanized falcon wing stickers splashed on each side of its body. Three men stood near the van, their backs to her. The tall blonde guy stood with his hands on his hips, the one with a short brown hair had his arms crossed against his chest as he kept a doubtful glare on the third guy, who looked so excited and animated as he showed off the van to his friends. Natasha shook her head in disbelief but with a playful smirk on her lips.

"I don't care what you say, but she's a beauty!" Sam shouted.

"I'm jealous, Wilson," Natasha teased and continued, "you normally say _that _about me."

The three men turned to see Natasha strutting towards them in her black, jumpsuit uniform.

"I _still _say that about you, but sorry, baby girl, not this time," Sam teased as he put his hand on the side of the van and caressed it like he would a woman's backside.

Natasha's smirk widened and said, "How about, I'll let you drive my car, Sam, in exchange of _that thing_?"

Sam froze, his jaws slightly dropped. _Drive the Widow's Corvette?_ Sam thought, his heart rate rose a bit. For the longest time he had always wanted to drive that car but no one, not even the captain, was allowed behind its steering wheel. So Natasha's unexpected offer of a once in a lifetime opportunity sent his brain into an overload of synapse reactions.

Sam looked to his side and stared at the black 4-wheeled beast, shining and gleaming underneath the hangar's bright lights. It really was the perfect ride for Romanoff, a mechanized representation of the Black Widow - sleek, beautiful, and unassuming on the outside, with a body of unending curves that would keep your eyes wandering all over it while packing a horsepower level that would leave you breathless, in every sense of the word.

Sam swallowed hard. He looked at Natasha then to Steve and Bucky. Bucky had removed his arms from his chest and tensed a bit too, sympathizing with Sam's predicament, because he too would love to drive that ride. Steve on the other hand, simply tried to hide a knowing smile. Sam looked back at Natasha.

"Rogers told me about your little road trip and I was a bit hurt, Wilson to find out I wasn't invited. But seeing at how you're planning to cross country in that _thing_, let's just say, we're cool. No hard feelings. I think you guys can do better so I'm offering my car. How about it, Sam? Want to cross the country in style?"

Steve and Bucky turned to Sam. Bucky now had the same knowing smile on his face. He knew, Natasha was playing Sam and he was loving every second of it. He knew Sam had been planning their road trip for months now and it was a crucial part of the plan, since the beginning, that he would do it old-school style. Because according to Sam Wilson, it ain't road trip unless you're in a 1970s camper van with a sunroof.

"Yeah, Wilson, how about the Corvette? I mean, it can still be a road trip in a 4-seater car, right? With what, 500… 600 horsepower?" Bucky chimed in.

"Six-fifty actually," Natasha corrected Bucky with angst and a playful wink at his direction. "It's a perfect roadtrip car, Wilson. Unless of course, you _three _are expecting to engage in an activity that would require _all _that space at the back -"

"Hell _no_," Sam said quickly and in a slightly high pitch, his eyes darting back and forth to Steve and Bucky. "I mean, I don't know what you're talking about."

Steve finally let out a chuckle while Bucky released a boisterous laugh. Sam put his hands on his hips but obviously looked uncomfortable at what Natasha was insinuating.

"It may be a bit crammed," Natasha continued and threw a glance to her car. "But it's still manageable in a Corvette, you know. Just make sure you lay out a blanket first so you won't ruin the upholstery and in case either one of you don't like the feel of leather on your skin -"

"No, thanks, Romanoff," Sam cut her off. "My _classic _'70s roadtrip van will do just fine." Sam stuck out his tongue at Natasha and opened the back of the van to start loading their provisions. Bucky was still laughing, holding his stomach as he did.

"Yo, sergeant Winter what's your face! Quit laughing and help me load the coolers!"

Bucky walked to Sam's position but he did not stop laughing. He actually continued teasing Sam.

Natasha's smirk turned into a full smile. Steve walked to her.

"You're going to be okay, right?" Steve asked her, a worried smile on his face.

"I could ask you the same thing," Natasha replied with a chuckle and nodded to where Sam and Bucky were. Steve watched his two friends bicker and suddenly wished he was going with Natasha on her mission rather than getting stuck with those two guys in a van, on a long road, for several days.

Steve and Natasha watched as Sam shove a gallon container of motor oil to Bucky.

"Here, stash one of these in case you get thirsty," Sam said.

"Ha-ha, funny," Bucky replied but did put the motor oil in the van beside the tool box.

Steve released a heavy sigh then turned back to Natasha.

"Is there any chance I can tag along with you instead?" Steve asked her with his puppy eyes and boyish grin.

"Sorry, handsome. Not this time," Natasha said and laughed. "Besides my mission is going to be boring and I don't want you to miss out on all the fun with those two."

Steve shook his head but smiled at Natasha. He hated it when she had to go on solo missions even though he knew she can take care of herself just fine. He reached out a hand brushed a strand of her red curls behind her ear.

"Can you please make sure that _that classic _piece of junk is tuned up? I trust Wilson in combat but I cannot say the same when it comes to his other life decisions. It's a long road to Grand Canyon and you don't want _that _disintegrating into pieces -"

"I think _that _has way better chances of making it all the way to the Canyon in one piece compared to my sanity," Steve said making Natasha laugh out loud again. He looked at her with concern. Natasha turned a bit serious.

"I'll be fine, Rogers," Natasha said with a soft smile. "You boys have fun, okay? And after all of this, we'll plan _our _own little road trip."

"I'll hold you on to that, Romanoff," Steve said with a teasing tone. He sighed again and pulled Natasha into a hug. He buried his face in hair and whispered, "Check in as often as you can, please."

"Yes, captain," Natasha whispered back as she took in his scent and savored the sensation of being flushed against his chest. She hugged him back.

After a few moments, they pulled away from each other. Natasha tiptoed and gave Steve a kiss on the lips, which he gladly returned. Then she turned and got in her Corvette. She gave him one last smile before closing the door. Steve watched the Corvette disappear behind the hangar doors. .

He walked to join Sam and Bucky in loading the van. Bucky picked up a blanket, unfolded it and for no reason at all, draped it all over Sam's head.

"What the hell, Barnes!"

"We don't need as many blankets, Wilson. Like what Nat said, we can warm each other -"

"Shut up, greasy! Get your head out of the gutter will you? Romanoff's already rubbing off onto you."

"Hmmm… as her trainer back in the day, I think it's the other way around -"

"Just shut, man," Sam said with a scowl.

Bucky tried to stifle a laugh.

Steve took a deep breath and said, "Oh, boy."


	2. Chapter 2

For the longest time, Sam has always wanted to go on a road trip, specifically along Route 66, and for the longest time, Bucky has always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. Seeing how both can be done at the same time, Steve tried to help out by securing a two-week leave for the three of them. He thought they would have better chances if Captain America himself would ask for it. But he was wrong. Fury denied his request at first, stating that the three of them on a long holiday at the same time was a security risk.

Sam and Bucky were disheartened by the news but nevertheless were grateful that Steve still tried. So, they pushed their dream vacation in the back burner and resigned to the fact that it might never come true. For Sam, it was both funny and sad that the probability of them going up north to space to fight aliens was higher than going on a 2,000-mile road trip west.

Then one day Fury called them in and handed them their leave requests with 'Approved' stamped in red ink across them. They looked at Fury with disbelief.

"For the record, I still believe this is a terrible idea, but, I was _persuaded _that it won't be a problem," Fury said firmly.

"Thank you," Steve said.

Sam and Bucky didn't waste any time, especially Sam. They divided the planning and tasks - Sam took care of their road trip plans, like stopovers and what not, while Bucky took care of the things once they reach Grand Canyon, like activities and lodgings. They were both so excited that they didn't bother to question why Fury changed his mind all of a sudden. But Steve knew.

The only other person who knew of their plan was Natasha and if there was someone who had the guts and was crazy enough to try to persuade Fury, it would be _her_. Steve didn't have to ask her about it to confirm. Her pleased and cocky smile at him when he broke the news to her was enough to confirm his theory. He simply took her into his arms and took her breath away with a deep, passionate kiss to show his gratitude.

Steve was probably one of the handful of people who saw right through Natasha; that behind the detached and cold facade was someone who cared, who can sympathize with the people around her. But right now, a part of Steve wished that Natasha rather didn't care that much about their little plan, that she didn't give a damn or didn't feel like she had to do something when she saw Sam and Bucky's long faces when Fury crushed their dreams. Because now, four days into their journey, Steve discovered that virtues like patience do have their limit and that his, unlike his body was so easy to exhaust.

"I can't believe you missed the exit _again_, Wilson," Bucky said, frustrated.

"If you just stopped yapping at me about changing lanes, I wouldn't be so distracted!" Sam shouted in his defense.

"Great! We'd be sleeping in the van _again_. Are you sure you're not missing the exits on _purpose_?"

"What are you talking about, Barnes!? Can you please just shut up!"

Two days ago, Sam missed their exit to a small town in Missouri where they were planning to spend the night. So left with no choice they continued on the road despite all of them already running on fumes, until Steve decided they stop and have a couple hours of sleep by the side of the road. Actually Steve or Bucky could still drive, thanks to their super human stamina, but he actually liked the idea that _all _of them were awake during the day to share the trip, the company, the scenery, etc. He didn't want either him or Bucky, especially Bucky, to sleep through the day and miss out on the trip just because they were alternating as night driver. So they all slept at night and stayed awake during the day, which lately, Steve was regretting due to the two's constant bickering.

"There's another small town up ahead, couple of hours out. Let's camp there," Sam said, a bit more composed.

Bucky just sighed and leaned his forehead on the window. He looked at the moon and took comfort in the thought that its faint glow was its way of telling him, "I feel you, brother". He hated that Steve insisted that he sit in front with Sam. It was an unsaid rule that out of respect to Steve's rank, he always called shotgun, without even actually, verbally _calling _it. Bucky knew Steve's ulterior motive was so he and Sam could 'bond' more. He perfectly understood it but boy, he hated it. Bucky released a huge and long sigh.

Sam heard Bucky's frustrated sigh. He stole a glance and scowled at him before focusing on the road again. When he planned the trip he always knew he wanted Bucky to tag along. He didn't say it often but he really wish good things for the guy and he wanted to help him create a life for himself in this century. It was just sometimes, the guy could _really _get on his nerves and he didn't know exactly why.

Natasha once called him out for being a jack ass at Bucky. He tried explaining why being an ass was his default mood towards Bucky but failed. Natasha gave him a knowing smirk and told him that he can do better. Sam agreed. There was no reason why he and Bucky couldn't be friends and that was what he hoped to achieve by the end of this trip.

Sam looked at his rear view mirror to check on Steve. His head was down and engrossed with his phone.

"Natasha okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, she's just on surveillance right now," Steve replied without taking his eyes off of the phone.

"Sorry, I didn't invite her, man," Sam said sincerely. "I just thought we dudes could -,"

"It's okay, Sam, she understood," Steve assured his friend with a smile.

"Are you constantly giving her updates on our trip?" Bucky asked.

Steve blushed and replied, "Yeah, she's worried and bored to death so you two are perfect entertainment for her."

"What?! Come on, man. I was really hoping we could keep everything about this trip between us three, you know, like a bro-thing," Sam said sheepishly.

"Bro-thing? Really, Wilson?" Bucky asked.

"Shut up and just go to sleep, princess," Sam said.

_Here we go again, _Steve thought helplessly and just sighed. He went back to his phone and typed a message for Natasha, "Don't get me wrong, I love these 2 knuckleheads, but right now, I wish a portal would open and eat them whole. Can you please come and get me?"

A sweet smile formed on Steve lips and kept his eyes glued on his phone, excitedly waiting for Natasha's response. He wasn't used to distracting Natasha during a mission but he felt desperate at the moment, knowing that she was the only one who could keep him sane while caught in a crossfire in the van. Good thing Natasha indulged him, affording him a few minutes of respite as he immersed himself in their sweet and lighthearted banter.

Natasha replied, "Oh, you're cute. You know I can, darling, and I would in a heartbeat. But are you sure? Do you really want to give them another excuse to tease you?"

Steve's smile grew wider. He shook his head and chuckled softly as he typed his response, "You're right. Sorry, just a moment of weakness. They're relentless."

Natasha replied, "I know. They fight like a married couple. Hang in there, okay? Remember your mission - _castle in the sandbox - _and stop them from stabbing each other."

Steve laughed out loud this time that he distracted Sam and Bucky from their fight. Bucky was about to ask Steve what was funny when the van jolted so violently that his face smacked the headrest hard. Bucky looked at Sam, about to scream at him but realized that they have swerved to the dirt side road and Sam was now struggling to take control of the wheel as the van bopped up and down across the stony curbside. Sam didn't want Bucky and himself to be thrown out of the windshield (because both said they were too cool for seat belts) so he didn't floor down the breaks. Instead, he gradually engaged the breaks as he avoided obstructions like small boulders, mounds, sandy potholes etc. Unfortunately, they were still speeding when the van started to glide over pointy rocks and there, in an instant, their tires burst. Finally, the van halted.

Sam's hands were gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were now white. Bucky was slouched on his seat, his hands planted on the dashboard to steady himself. Steve was sprawled on the backseat, gripping the back of Bucky's seat with his right hand and his phone with his other.

"What the hell was that, Wilson?" Bucky yelled.

"I don't know! Steve distracted me!" Sam yelled back.

"What? What did I do?!" Steve yelled too.

None spoke again as they all catch their breath. Finally Sam stepped out of the van to inspect the damage. Bucky and Steve followed and saw that their two tires on the right side both blew up. Sam and Bucky immediately crouched down to inspect them more closely. Bucky slid under the van to inspect the underside of it while Sam held out his phone to give him some light.

"There's no use, guys," Steve said.

"That's not really helpful, Steve," Bucky said from under the van.

"Yeah, Cap. Thanks for the confidence," Sam agreed.

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose, "All I'm saying is even though nothing else is damage, we only have one spare tire. So -"

Sam dropped his phone and looked up at Steve. Bucky stopped fiddling with the underside cables and just released a huge sigh.

"Damn," Sam said as Bucky slid back out from underneath.

None spoke again for a few moments. Sam and Bucky remained seated beside the van as Steve walked a little further away and rested on a huge boulder. He looked at his two friends and his heart dropped at the sight of their hopelessness.

"I can make a call," Steve finally said.

"Yeah, maybe Hill can send us a jet or something," Bucky agreed as he stood up and brushed off dirt from his pants.

"No," Sam said.

"Sam, man, look -," Bucky said softly.

"I said _no!_" Sam said again, shouting a bit. Steve studied him and he understood that his hurting pride had spawn his sudden stubbornness.

"Alright, I'm not going to call -,"

"But, Steve. Look around. Where in the middle of freaking nowhere," Bucky said.

"No, we're not," Sam said and turned to Bucky, "like I said, there's a town a few more miles -"

"Few more miles?" Bucky yelled. "A few more miles? Really, Wilson?"

"What, too old to be walking -,"

"There it is again. The old man jokes. Really? That's all you got?"

"Oh, no, grandpa, I got plenty more,"

"Really? Well, go on then -,"

Steve watched in disbelief as the two get into a fistfight, Bucky landing more punches than Sam. Bucky slammed Sam against the van. Steve squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath and yelled, "Alright, that's enough!"

Bucky became distracted for a bit and Sam took the opportunity to duck out \as Bucky's metal fist landed and dented the van's side. Steve walked towards them, hands on his hips.

"We're all spent to go on foot, Sam so let's rest in the van and figure things out in the morning," Steve said coolly.

"You're not calling Hill for help?" Sam asked.

"No. I'm not. But if you two won't stop fighting, I'm going to make _a _call."

"Deal," Sam said.

"Fine. Next time Sam takes a jab at me again, call Hill," Bucky agreed.

"Oh no, I'm not calling Hill. I'm calling my _girlfriend_," Steve said.

Sam and Bucky looked at him and what Steve saw in their eyes made him smile in victory. People were scared of Natasha and Steve tried changing that no matter how many times she told him that he didn't have to, that she actually preferred it, that way she didn't have to worry about hurting other people's feelings. Steve laughed it off, of course, knowing that it was just a defense mechanism she put up for herself, but remained true to his quest of showing the world just how much of a 'cinnamon' Natasha really was.

But now Steve knew that she would be pleased to know that Sam and Bucky still fear her and how he used _her _to scare the two into civility, even just for one night.

Sam and Bucky both tried to say something back but decided to just shut up. Steve nodded in satisfaction. Sam and Bucky didn't bother to contradict him, even though they weren't sure if he was just bluffing or not. The thought of Natasha glaring at them, her arms crossed on chest, an eyerbrow raised in condescension sent shivers down their spine.

"Good. Let's get some rest," Steve said and walked to the back of the van. Bucky followed and helped him lay out their blankets. Sam went back first to the driver's seat to removed the keys from the ignition before joining the two at the back.

They were almost done preparing their 'beds' when a huge brown RV rolled to a stop beside them. The three stood still, in attention and ready to fight. They held their ground as the RV's door opened and revealed an elderly couple.

"You fellows need a ride?" the old man said from behind the wheel.

The three look at each other, gauging if they all were thinking the same thing.

"The next town is about, 20 miles," the wife said with a smile.

Bucky eyed Sam and whispered in a hard tone, "Twenty miles, _really_?"

Before Sam could throw a reply Steve spoke, "If it isn't too much trouble, ma'am."

"Oh, no. No trouble at all. Hop in and have some hot chocolate," the wife invited them in.

Steve flashed a grateful smile to the woman. They gathered their bags from the van, taking only the necessities, before hopping into the RV. Sam stopped by the RV's steps to take one last look at their van. Steve and Bucky noticed it but didn't say anything. They didn't need to because they perfectly understood how Sam felt.

"It's alright, Sam, it's not over yet," Steve said softly, in attempt to console his friend.

But Sam only lowered his eyes and sat down quietly as the RV's door shut close.

A/N: I'm not from the US so I'm not exactly sure what the Route 66 road trip looks like so ask for your forgiveness for any inaccuracies I might have written. :)


	3. Chapter 3

After assuring Natasha that they were fine, Steve amused himself and passed the time by chatting with the couple in front of the RV. Steve learned that the couple were on their way to California to visit their children and grandchildren. They're from Chicago and usually took the long roadtrip to the west coast at least twice a year. He forced himself to engage the couple in as much conversation as he could, not even shying away when his relationship with Natasha was brought up, so just he would have an excuse to not deal with Sam and Bucky.

The two sat apart in the RV, sulking in their own ways. Bucky would glance at Sam once in a while to check on him because Bucky was sure Sam would be the most affected by their misfortune knowing how emotionally invested he was in this trip. Sam however, never once removed his eyes off from the floor. He would sigh deeply once in a while but nothing more.

It took them three more hours to reach the next town. It could have been two if the old man didn't drive like well, like an _old man_. The RV parked at a motel fifteen minutes away from the interstate and Steve got them a room. The elderly couple did too, saying that they miss sleeping on a real bed after being on the road for a couple of days.

Steve slept on the extra mattress on the floor between the two beds, between Sam and Bucky. He really hoped that the two would find a way around their issues during their drive in the RV but Steve was disappointed to see that they didn't. _Well, at least they're not biting each others' head off now_, Steve thought.

The next morning, Bucky woke up and saw Steve's mattress empty but his sheets already neatly folded so Bucky relaxed, knowing that Steve probably just went out for a run or breakfast or both. It was half past eight already. Bucky sat up, rubbing his eyes and read a message on his phone. It was from Steve telling them he'd wait for them in the diner across the motel for breakfast.

Bucky looked at Sam who was still sleeping. He remembered how depressed Sam looked last night and it made Bucky want to punch himself. He was embarrassed at how he acted and reacted towards Sam throughout the trip. Sam was a great guy, that he knew, and he really felt silly at the hostility he has thrown at him just for being close to his best friend. He remembered Natasha saying, "What's wrong with Rogers having _two _best friends?" Bucky knew the answer was 'nothing' but something inside him that he didn't think he had, clouded his thinking and flagged Sam as a hostile to his friendship with Steve. "It's called possessiveness," Natasha informed him, "and it's _ugly_, James."

Bucky shook his head at the thought. Natasha was right. She was always right. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Steve having other friends than him. A small smile flashed across Bucky's lips, a renewed strength and hope warming his heart. It wasn't late to find a friend in Sam. Bucky walked over to Sam's bed and lightly tapped the guy, waking him up.

Sam lazily opened his eyes and sat by the edge of his bed. His struggled to keep his heavy eyelids open, but thanks to Bucky's incessant shuffling around the room, Sam eventually found himself awake. As soon as his consciousness took over, he remembered last night, the sight of their van in the middle of nowhere. Sam slumped his shoulders and sighed.

Bucky didn't say anything. Well, he couldn't because he was brushing his teeth. So he just showed Sam Steve's message. Sam nodded in understanding and fixed his bed. Sam took a shower while Bucky patiently waited watching the TV. Sam emerged from the bathroom.

"Hey," Bucky said softly and turned off the TV. Sam didn't face him, instead he continued packing his things. But Bucky continued, "sorry about last night. I guess, I was just tired -,"

"We both were," Sam cut him off and finally turned around to face him. "Look, I really don't know why we keep seeing red when we look at each other -,"

"I do, well, at least I know _my _reason," Bucky said shamefully.

Sam raised his eyebrows and waited for Bucky to enlighten him. Bucky chuckled softly and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Steve and I have known each other since we were kids, you know. He's my brother and after everything that had happened, I guess, simply put, I didn't want to _share _him with other people."

Sam laughed softly, surprising Bucky. "Well, if you have a problem with sharing Steve then your fight is not with me, it's with Romanoff," Sam said.

Bucky's face lit up and he wasn't sure if it was because of what Sam said or because of Sam's laugh. Either way, Bucky felt light, at ease and he just found himself laughing with Sam.

"Shit, you're right," Bucky agreed. "Well, I don't think that's a fight I'm going to win, right?"

Sam laughed harder and clapped Bucky on the shoulder, "Yup! You actually already lost to the redhead, man! Look, I'm sorry too. I'm not trying to steal your best friend from you -,"

"I know that."

"Actually it's more of me wanting to be _in _with what you guys have, not just to be Steve's friend but yours too, man."

Bucky smiled, "I realized that. Otherwise you wouldn't invite me in this trip, right?"

Sam smiled and nodded, "That's right. I took the risk of incurring the Widow's wrath by excluding her so the three of us could you know -,"

"Yeah, I know, have our bro-thing. Did I use that word right? Is that even a real word?" Bucky playfully mocks Sam.

Sam laughed again. At the back of Bucky's head, he reminded himself to buy something for Natasha at their next stop, a thank you gift for her wise words. Little did Bucky know, but Sam was also making the same mental note.

"Come on, Steve's probably running out of paper to read at the diner," Bucky said and opened the door.

"Wait, is that an old man joke? Did you just make an old man joke?"

"Wilson, there's nothing _old _with reading newspapers."

"You know nobody really reads newspapers anymore today, right? Not the kids, not the adults which leaves us with?"

Bucky rolled his eyes and disappeared from the door, "Whatever, Wilson."

Sam laughed and followed him outside. There was quite a crowd at the diner bu they instantly located Steve.

"Want to bet 100 bucks grandpa's there?" Sam asked Bucky as he pointed at a corner table with a lone occupant. Bucky couldn't see the occupant because it was hidden behind a spread of newspaper. Bucky rolled his eyes again and walked towards the table. Sam followed. The two stood for a moment in front of the table, quietly letting the occupant know of their presence.

Steve folded the newspaper and saw them standing side by side. "Good morning," he greeted them.

Sam and Bucky fist bumped each other and their smiles grew wider at the sight of Steve's confused face. The two sat down and gave their orders to the waitress.

Steve studied the two in front of him. He wasn't sure what was going on but it seemed like the shadow of last night finally took a hike. Instead of asking or even thinking about asking the two, he simply sipped his coffee with a small smile, not wanting to jinx whatever truce was in effect. He picked up his phone and sent Natasha a message, "Truce in effect. Kids in the same sandbox. Standby for updates."

Then Natasha replied, "I'll hold my breath."

Sam looked at Steve who was smiling again to his phone. "So, do you and Natasha ever - sextext?"

Bucky spewed coffee over his omelette, "Wilson!"

"Would it surprise you to know that we do?" Steve replied with confidence, a naughty smile on his lips.

Sam and Bucky's jaws dropped and Steve relished that victorious moment. He had gotten good at turning the tables around against them whenever they would tease him about his sex life. Of course, he picked up most of his deflecting techniques from Natasha. Steve sipped his coffee casually waiting for any followup teases from the two. But before either one could think of something, the elderly couple from last night approached their table.

"So, have you talked about it?" the old man asked Steve.

Sam and Bucky looked at Steve, clearly not in the loop of the events of the morning because as they recall, there was nothing left undecided when they parted ways last night. Steve didn't bother looking at the two. He just smiled at the couple and said, "Yes, we would appreciate another lift to the next town."

"Alright then, we'll meet you at the RV in 20 minutes," the wife said and then dragged her husband to the pastry display shelf.

"Steve -," Sam started but Steve cut him off.

"Look, so far all of your plans blew up, quite literally, last night, due to your own faults, I might add, so unless you have better plans, then I'll let that nice couple know that we'd be on -, "

"No, it's okay, it's actually good. We can make plans while on the road," Bucky said.

"Yeah, we're already a couple of hours behind our schedule but at least we can still stick to the itinerary," Sam agreed.

"Alright! I'll check us out and load our bags in the RV," Steve said and left the diner. Outside, he messaged Natasha, "Castle _might _be on the way, I think. Standby for confirmation." Steve smiled and went to the motel office.

There were back on the interstate highway and all agreed that would part ways in the next town, which was at least 150 miles away. Bucky calculated and at the old man's driving speed they would reach it in a little over two hours. The elderly couple actually offered to take them all the way to Arizona since they would pass by it anyway to California, but Sam politely declined the offer, saying that they still intended to stick to their plans.

Steve only smiled but he was extremely happy. He truly admired Sam's high spirits. And Steve became even more pleased to find the two, crouched over their map and re-adjusting their plans to make up for the inconvenience and delays they have encountered along the way. He almost wanted to message Natasha again, but he decided he'd wait for a couple more hours, until they reach the next town to see if the two really did settle their differences and finally agreed to give friendship a chance. Steve hated to admit it but there was still the possibility that their peacetime might just be a temporary thing, something they agreed on just to keep him from making true to this threat of calling Natasha.

They spent the next few hours exchanging stories with the elderly couple and playing board games. When the board games bored Sam, Bucky suggested poker but again, after a few rounds Sam became bored again. Good thing Bucky thought of a way to keep Sam invested.

"Let's put some stakes up for this one, just for this round. What do you say, Steve?"

"Barnes, we don't really have anything right now to bet," Sam protests.

"Steve has," Bucky said and eyed Steve.

"Which is?" Steve said coolly, accepting Bucky's challenge.

"Your phone," Bucky said.

"We all have phones, Barnes," Sam said and laughed. But Sam noticed Bucky challenging Steve in a stare down. He didn't understand what Bucky was getting into but Steve seemed to. Sam wrapped his brain around the thought and analyzed why losing his phone would be such a huge stake for Steve. Then it finally hit Sam - without his phone, Steve won't have any communication with Natasha.

"Ooooooh! I like it!" Sam expressed his excitement.

"Are you two really _that _scared of her?" Steve asked with a soft chuckle.

"Oh, not that, pal. You see Sam and I have already worked it out, right Sam? We don't care if you call her or not."

"_We do_?" Sam asked Bucky, panicking a bit. But Bucky elbowed him and Sam immediately played along. "Yup!"

"So why do you still want to take my phone?"

"To get rid of distractions, buddy! So you can stop your sexting or whatever, _then _the three of us can finally really enjoy this trip," Bucky said, a huge smug grin on his face. "It would level the field too. It's not fair that you're still spending time with your girlfriend when clearly this trip is supposed to be us three!"

"Why do I get punished just because you two don't have girlfriends?" Steve continued protesting but Sam and Bucky just raised their eyebrows at him, waiting for him to cave in.

Steve looked back and forth at his friends, their smug faces getting into his nerves. He was happy that the two seemed to be genuinely getting along (finally) and was excited at the prospect of a true, happy, road trip adventure with them, no bickering, no slight comments, no passive-aggressiveness in the van. But the thought of not talking to Natasha for the rest of the trip saddened him. Sure he can make it through a few days without her but, _still_.

"You both know she's working, I need to know her status -,"

"We know it's _just _a recon mission, Steve, you said it yourself," Sam cut him off, "besides, I don't think she would appreciate it, you keeping tabs on her, almost like saying you don't think she can take care of herself."

"She knows I never think of that about her. So, sorry, Wilson, that argument won't hold water."

"That maybe true. But you know what argument neither of you would like?" Bucky teases.

"And what is that?"

"That Steve Rogers is _whipped_!"

Sam and Bucky threw their heads back and laughed out loud. But it was short lived when they noticed that Steve's smile never left his lips.

"Oh, I _am_, there's no point denying it anyway," Steve said, without any hint of embarrassment or humiliation.

Sam and Bucky's jaws dropped, just like in the diner during breakfast.

"See, you have no argument that would convince me -,"

"Steve, please! Don't ruin this trip! Remember it's mine and Bucky's ultimate road trip, don't be _the _buzzkill. We'll just take your phone and let you know every time Romanoff would check in. Promise."

"Yeah, man. Come on! I'm sure Nat would understand. Actually I think she would want the three of us to really have fun in this trip."

"Fine! Fine! Steve Rogers maybe whipped but he's no buzzkill," Steve finally said to just appease the two. "Can I at least message her and tell her what's happening so she wouldn't be worried or anything?"

Sam and Bucky nodded. Steve pulled out his phone and sent Natasha the message, "Castle in the sandbox _confirmed_." He handed Sam his phone, who didn't hesitate to read the message. Sam showed it to Bucky and the two looked at Steve with question marks on their faces.

Steve just smiled and said coyly, 'I told you, we sextext all the time."


	4. Chapter 4

Two and a half hours later, the old couple dropped the three in front a cafe.

"They're adorable," Sam said as he watched the RV disappeared back on the highway and then followed Steve and Bucky inside the cafe. They sat down and Steve and Bucky surveyed the menu. They just had breakfast but Sam understood that the two's super human stamina also meant super human metabolism and super human hunger pangs, thus their need for five to six full meals a day.

"So what now?" Bucky asked after their orders arrived ten minutes later.

"First, we find a ride and before you say it, no, it doesn't have to be a camper van. Any ride with four working tires will do," Sam replied.

"Then we find a grocery store and re-stock supplies," Bucky followed up as he took a huge bite off his sandwich. Sam nodded in agreement.

"We might actually have to call Hill," Sam said, "just to secure the van."

"You're not really planning to keep that piece of - "

Bucky stopped as Sam pointed a teaspoon at him in warning. "Go ahead, grandpa, finish that sentence."

"Still with the old man jokes? It's getting boring, Wilson."

"Oh, okay. No problem, I'll start with my metal and rust ones."

Steve tensed up and at the same time realized that it was the first time he felt his stress levels went haywire again in the last 24 hours. The two seemed to be starting another bout of bickering that sent Steve's stomach tying itself in a knot. He had never been this stressed outside the battlefield. He just told Natasha the two were finally doing very well and now he was realizing he might have called it too soon. Steve looked back and forth at the two and let out an internal sigh of relief when they started laughing. It startled Steve at first but then he slowly joined in the laughter too, his anxiety ebbing away.

"Care to join us, Steve?" Sam asked.

"Sorry, I don't have metal and rust jokes," Steve replied chuckling as he sipped his coffee.

"Not in that. In the plans. Care to chip in?"

"Oh, about that. Nope, not really. Seems like you two have it all figured out," Steve teased them. Then Steve's phone buzzed. Sam took it out and seeing it was a message from Natasha, handed it to Steve.

Steve read her message, "I'm outside the sandbox. Want to see the castle."

Steve typed in his response as a familiar huge smile lined his lips. It was _too _familiar that Sam and Bucky didn't bother to say anything anymore, not even a tease because they knew it would be useless. They just smiled and shook their heads at him, accepting their defeat, that nothing would keep the lovebirds apart.

After hitting send, Steve looked at Sam and Bucky like a dad thinking how to break a surprise to his sons, afraid that they might not take it well. He propped his arms on the table, leaned in and sighed, "Guys, whatever happens, I want you to know I'm so happy you two seemed to have finally figured out your issues and are on your way to becoming really good friends."

"Thanks, Steve," Sam and Bucky chorused. But then Bucky's brows furrowed and asked, "Wait, what do you mean whatever happens?"

Steve didn't have to answer as a familiar voice echoed behind Sam and Bucky.

"Hi, boys."

Sam and Bucky turned to look and saw Natasha. Their jaws dropped and their eyes widened. They didn't speak as Natasha sat beside Steve and they started kissing.

"I missed you," Steve whispered as soon as Natasha pulled away to take a breath.

"Me too, sweetheart," Natasha whispered back and planted a peck on his lips before sitting herself comfortably beside him.

"What the hell," Bucky muttered as he watched Natasha took Steve's coffee, sipped, and then started attacking Steve's leftover bagel.

"You called her? _Why_?" Sam asked, sounding offended.

"Yeah, why, Steve? I don't think we gave you any reason to," Bucky supported Sam.

"Relax you, guys. He didn't call me. I have been in this town for five days now waiting for you," Natasha said.

The surprise and look of betrayal on Sam and Bucky's faces disappeared and were replaced with confusion. So Steve started explaining.

"Remember when Fury denied our request, who do you think changed his mind? The only reason Fury agreed was because Nat promised him that she'd keep an eye on us, provide back up and exfil, if necessary."

Natasha leaned back against the couch and Steve draped his arm around her shoulders.

"Okay, that explains a lot but why do I feel like I still don't get _it_?" Sam asked.

"Fury is aware of your - _issues_," Steve continued, pointing at the Sam and Bucky. "And he couldn't send you guys out on missions if you can't watch each others' backs. Natasha convinced him that this trip can help _fix _that."

Sam and Bucky shifted their gaze at Natasha, not with anger or animosity but rather with deep appreciation and gratitude, and in Sam's part, a little guilt for keeping her on the sidelines in this trip. He was so focused on creating a 'bond' with the guys that he seemed to have dismissed her altogether. Sam knew and he was ready to beat himself up about this for a _long _time.

Natasha returned their gaze, especially Sam's. She never took it personally or against Sam when she learned she wasn't invited in their little trip. She actually told Steve that it was a great opportunity for Sam and Bucky to iron out their relationship. So she devised a plan and convinced Steve to play along.

In her plan, Steve would let Sam and Bucky take the lead in their adventure, throwing in his opinions only when asked. It was in the hopes of making the two realize that they can depend on each other on everything and anything, because no matter how much they deny it, they were in fact similar in so many ways, in values, morals, and perspectives. And Natasha and Steve hoped that they would come to this realization by the time they reached this town. So when Steve messaged her that the_ castle was up_, Natasha couldn't be any happier. Mission accomplished.

Bucky was the first to break the silence. He chuckled softly and gave Natasha a wide, warm smile. He loved Natasha. Maybe not in the same way Steve does, but knowing the hell Natasha endured and survived when she was young, he couldn't help but reserve a special spot in his heart for her. "Thank you," he said softly accompanied by a wink.

"You're welcome, James," Natasha replied.

Now they all turned to Sam who seemed to have finally processed everything. He reached out his hand across the table towards Natasha, palms up. Natasha reached out too and held it.

"I'm sorry I didn't -," Sam stammered a bit.

"It's okay, Sam. I think my invitation getting lost in the mail did all of us good in the end, don't you think?" Natasha consoled Sam with a soft smile.

Sam returned her smile and nodded. "Thank you," he said as he gently shook Natasha's hand.

"Alright!" Steve exclaimed and clapped his hands in excitement. "Thank god that's finally over!"

"Wait, hold up," Bucky said. "Based on what I heard, this was _all _Natasha. What exactly was your role in this mission again?"

"Yeah, Rogers," Sam backed up Bucky. "All you did was sulk in the back seat and bark at us."

"Back off him, guys, he did his job _beautifully_," Natasha said, tenderly stroking Steve's chin before kissing him again on the lips. "He kept his head down, restrained himself from bossing you around, let you two figure it out, kept me updated with his status reports, _and _prevented this whole trip from ending in a hospital or worse, a morgue."

Steve chuckled and pulled Natasha towards him for a hug. "That's right and I am happy to report that they're still scared of you."

Sam and Bucky let out exasperated sigh. Bucky buried his face in his palms while Sam dropped his head on the table.

"Oh, really. that's good to hear," Natasha teased them.

"Well, Steve revealed you two sextext all the time!" Bucky blurted out hoping to embarrass Steve. Natasha's brows furrowed, giving Bucky a sense of vindication.

"Don't deny it. He even showed it to us. He showed us a message that said something about a castle and a sandbox. Now, I know that's not normal sexting lingo but hey, what ever make your engines working, right?" Sam said.

Natasha laughed. She laughed so hard that she threw her head back and hit the unpadded, wooden headrest of the couch, making an audible _thud_. Bucky was sure that hurt but Natasha was too busy laughing her ass off to bother with the pain. Steve just stroked the part of her head that made contact with the wood, ruffling her red hair in the process.

"That wasn't sextext lingo, Sam. It's our code words for this mission. I kind of anticipated you two would pry his phone from him and we can't afford you two finding out our little ruse. Sandbox represents our relationship and castle is your friendship. So castle in the sandbox means -, "

"Friendship established," Sam said softly, finishing Natasha's sentence for her. Natasha simply nodded. Sam looked at Bucky and met his blue eyes, also bearing the same comprehension he had. Both remembered their conversation in their motel room and a wave of relief and gratitude came upon them. Bucky held out his hand and Sam shook it eagerly first before pulling Bucky into a hug, taking Bucky by surprise.

"Geez, Wilson, is this part of your bro-thing?" Bucky teased him .

"Shut up, greasy princess," Sam said, holding onto Bucky.

"Whatever you say, baby birdie" Bucky said softly and patted him on the back.

"We're so happy and proud of you two," Steve said.

Finally, Sam and Bucky pulled away from their hug, their eyes gleaming with happiness. Sam turned to Natasha, "Wait, I have a question, although I think already know the answer, but, was the couple in the RV part of the -,"

"Nope. That was pure happenstance. I was ready to drive out there but Steve said things were under control."

"Cool," Bucky said, remembering how the elderly couple arrived at the perfect time.

"Another question," Sam said then continued with pleading eyes, "Is that ride of yours somewhere near, like in the back lot maybe?"

Natasha flaunted her trademark smirk and shrugged her shoulders playfully. Sam and Bucky high-fived each other. They paid their tab and followed Natasha at the back lot of the cafe. Sam and Bucky fist bumped each other again, a habit they seemed to be making, when they saw Natasha's black Stingray Corvette sitting so pretty and sexy underneath a tree.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Bucky exclaimed in excitement.

Natasha turned around to face them, holding up the keys to the three of them. Sam and Bucky both gasped and held their breath. Natasha smirked at them, so pleased to see their reaction, something she somehow expected already. She wriggled the keys in the air, teasing the two further.

"Steve's first," Natasha said and handed Steve the keys. "You two determine who'd go next."

Steve tensed up again in panic, scared that this might undo everything that had happened in the past 24 hours. He looked at Sam and Bucky and saw that his fear was one wrong move away from breaking out, like one random sneeze and and the two would go into another fistfight. Both guys were locked in a stare down, and Steve wasn't sure if they were already jousting for second place, that who ever blink first would automatically be third place in the driving privileges war.

"How about," Natasha stepped in, "you two go on a grocery supply run and we'll figure out who's the 2nd driver later."

Sam and Bucky both nodded in agreement but Steve could still sense they were still in their competitive mode.

"I think we should go after them to make sure -,"

"Oh, no captain," Natasha said in her signature sultry voice. She stepped in front of Steve. She held out her hands and snaked her palms up on his chest all the way to his neck. "You owe me what, four day worth of make out sessions? I need you to pay up."

Steve matched her teasing mood with a naughty grin of his own. "It's actually five."

"Oh, is that so? Good," Natasha said then they hastily went in the back seat.


	5. Chapter 5

After Steve had his fill of driving the Corvette, Sam and Bucky took turns in the driver's seat. Steve and Natasha were more than happy to spend the entire trip cuddling and making out in the backseat. Normally, Steve would be uncomfortable doing it with Sam and Bucky around but two were too engrossed with the car, the road, the speed, the sights, that they ignored him and Natasha altogether.

The two cranked up the radio's volume and sang their hearts out. Steve was actually surprised to hear Bucky belt out songs from this century. Then after a couple 90s hiphop song popped up, Sam was sure he successfully converted Bucky into the genre. Goodbye jazz!

One and half days later, the Corvette finally swung in front of their cabin somewhere in the northern rim of the canyon, fifty kilometers from the park. Bucky didn't tell the others but he actually asked Shuri's help in booking the cabin online. He told her to find a nice, comfortable spot with not much tourists.

"Nice job, Buck, finding this place," Steve said as he marveled at the not too shabby interiors of their cabin.

"Thanks," Bucky said sheepishly while reminding himself to send Shuri a thank you message later.

It was already eight in the evening so they all decided to go straight to their cabin to rest and reload on energy for their whole day exploring the next day. According to Sam, Bucky had an amazing plan prepared, including star gazing and rafting. Bucky only gave them a shy smile as Sam boasted his plan to Steve and Natasha.

The cabin had two rooms, a master suite and a smaller one with two queen sized beds. Steve and Natasha took the master suite, while Sam and Bucky shared the other one.

"Good job, Rogers," Natasha whispered to Steve. They were finally on bed and in each others arms.

Steve kissed her on top of her head and replied, "It was all you, sweetheart. Like what they said, all I did was sulk in the back seat and report to you."

Natasha giggled and settled deeper into Steve's embrace. After a few minutes, they both finally fell asleep.

In the other room, Sam was having a hard time falling asleep. He was physically exhausted but his mind was still racing with the events of the past days. Plus the fact that he felt giddy about everything. He looked at Bucky who seemed to be already asleep but he was sure he wasn't yet.

"Let's agree, Barnes," Sam said softly, "whenever we would feel like we want to whack each other on the head, we'd remind ourselves of what Nat and Steve did for us this past week, okay?"

"Agreed," Bucky mumbled back, a soft smile lined his lips. Sam didn't see it but he knew it was there.

Finally, sleep came and claimed them.

The next day, after breakfast they went straight to tick off the first activity in Bucky's Grand Canyon Adventure Itinerary - hiking. After what happened to Bucky in the 40s, he would be forgiven if he admitted that he was afraid of heights. Well, he was, a little bit, but he trudged on, clasping Steve's or Natasha's hands whenever his knees would wobble once in a while. Bucky knew it was a great opportunity for him to conquer that fear and a wave of pride and gratitude came over him when he reached the top. He didn't exactly remember why he had always wanted to come here, but as he behold the marvelous land formations in front of him, he realized his reasons didn't matter anymore, he was just glad that he did.

Sam saw Bucky by the edge, panting. He walked to his side and clapped him on the back. They beamed at each other, making a silent promise to watch out for other each other until the end of the line.

Steve and Natasha soon joined them.

"You know," Natasha said, "Vegas is just around the corner."

Sam and Bucky turned to look at her with childlike excitement in their eyes.

"Our leave is up, Nat," Steve reminded her.

"Don't worry, I'll fix that with one phone call," Natasha said and winked at him.

"And what are we going to do there?"

"Oh, lots of things. Sam and Bucky can lose _big time _at the gametables, they can hit on as many girls as they want, we can watch different shows, we can try to score free drinks at the bars, we can get married -,"

"Riiiight," Steve chuckled and looked back at the mountains.

Sam and Bucky both gasped and held their breath. They looked at Natasha and saw her smiling, patiently waiting for Steve to catch on at what she said. Then after a few moments, he finally did. Steve's brows furrowed, his eyes fluttered and he looked like someone who was trying to remember whether or not he left the stove on. He slowly looked at Natasha again.

Natasha widened her smile at him, raising both of her eyebrows, encouraging, assuring him.

"Did you just propose to me?" Steve asked.

"Yes, I did. What do you think? Let's get married."

Steve stared at her. He was trying to process what was happening and he kept telling himself that it was not the 40s anymore, so of course, Natasha could pop the question just like any other man. Her green eyes sparkled and Steve also noticed that her cheeks were flushed. Steve was sure it wasn't because of the sun or the heat.

Actually, the idea had already been swirling in his mind lately but he was over-thinking things, like where and when to ask her, that it prevented him from making any move. He sought the internet's help but most of the video proposals he saw were too grand, too flashy, and unnecessarily _too _public. So he blamed the internet for making him insecure and crippling him with too much pressure to make sure everything was perfect.

But now, as he stared into Natasha's eyes, Steve couldn't ask for any other perfect moment, because there, right at that moment, everything _was _perfect. He held both of her hands and finally smiled at her, giving her her favorite charming, boyish, and a little naive smile of his.

"Yes. Let's get married," Steve said.

Natasha flung her arms around Steve's neck and clung onto him as he picked her up and twirled her around. They both couldn't stop laughing as they whispered 'I love yous' to each other.

Sam and Bucky cheered on, throwing their fists in the air then dancing around the couple. They put an arm around each others' shoulders, faced the canyon and shouted, "Best road trip ever!"


End file.
